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Primary sourceArtifactc. 1877-1878

Aloha ʻOe

Liliʻuokalani · c. 1877-1878

A Hawaiian farewell song composed by Liliʻuokalani around 1877-1878, now a lasting symbol of Hawaiʻi.

Her most celebrated composition, written while still a princess, later becoming a symbol of her homeland.

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Sheet music cover for 'Aloha Oe', reading 'Aloha Oe. Song and Chorus', with an ornate border, a crown and 'Oniipaa' monogram emblem, and text 'Composed by Her Royal Highness Princess Liliuokalani, of Honolulu, Oahu, H.I.' Published by The Pacific Music Co., 208 Post St., San Francisco, Cal.
Sheet music cover for Aloha ʻOe, composed by Princess Liliʻuokalani. Published by The Pacific Music Co., San Francisco.

About this source

What it is

A Hawaiian folk song composed around 1877-1878 by Liliʻuokalani, then a princess of the Hawaiian Kingdom. A hand-written manuscript with the score, Hawaiian lyrics and her own English translation is preserved at the Hawaiʻi State Archives.

Why it matters

The song is said to have been inspired by a farewell embrace witnessed during a horseback trip, hummed into shape by Liliʻuokalani and her companions on the way home. It became her most famous composition and, over time, grew into one of the most recognizable cultural symbols of Hawaiʻi, performed and recorded by many artists long after her death. It reveals Liliʻuokalani's talents as a composer beyond her political life.

Look closer

  • What does the story behind the song's creation suggest about Hawaiian musical tradition?
  • How did the song's meaning as a personal farewell grow into a national symbol?
  • Why might a royal composition become so widely recorded outside Hawaiʻi?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Queen Liliʻuokalani on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Black-and-white studio portrait of a woman standing full length beside an upholstered chair with a fur-like back, wearing a light pale gown with ruffled trim, a long train pooling on the floor, a dark sash across her chest with a decorative badge, and a necklace. Painted backdrop of foliage behind her.Book

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Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen

Liliʻuokalani · 1898

Page of the 1898 Joint Resolution to Provide for Annexing the Hawaiian Islands to the United States, handwritten annotation 'Public Resolution No. 51' at top, with printed text of the resolution's preamble and sections below.Document

Primary source

Joint Resolution to Provide for Annexing the Hawaiian Islands to the United States

United States Congress · 7 July 1898

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Liliuokalani in 1891

James J. Williams · 1891

Photograph of a large patchwork quilt with nine square blocks in a three by three grid, bordered in dark brown. Blocks feature crazy-quilt piecing in varied fabrics, embroidery, and embroidered text, with a central block of blue and red fabric bearing printed script.Artifact

Primary source

Imprisonment Quilt

Liliʻuokalani · 1895

Black-and-white photograph of people climbing stone steps toward a palace. A woman in a dark dress is at the center, flanked by men in dark suits and hats. Horse-drawn carriages with canopies stand on a dirt road, a mounted rider is in the background, and a tall street lamp stands by the steps. Trees and a white colonial building are behind. The number 53 is written in the lower right corner.Photograph

Primary source

Liliuokalani entering palace for trial of 1895

James J. Williams · 1895

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